Three motorists were injured Friday morning during a multi-vehicle pileup that involved 35 to 45 vehicles on Interstate 94 near Race Road in Jackson.

Jackson County Undersheriff Christopher Kuhl said three people were injured in the pileup and taken to a hospital in Jackson. He said the most serious injuries were moderate.

"We do not have any fatalities, and we do not have any serious injuries, thankfully," he said.

The pileup closed the freeway for hours, officials said.

A preliminary investigation found a crash on I-94's westbound lanes set off a chain reaction of collisions, Kuhl said.

“We had a number of other vehicles that were stuck between the collisions but were not damaged," he said.

He said it appears there were a number of factors that contributed to the series of crashes, including weather. A snow system came through the area quickly and made the roadway icy and diminished drivers' visibility, he said.

"From what we've been able to piece together, it looks like a vehicle was attempting to pass another vehicle or a semi and lost control," Kuhl said. "Then we had a whole series of chain-reaction crashes."